Help me design NYC trip with 15yr old son

[Anonymous]

My 15yr old son is working on talking me into taking him on a trip to NY (we currently live in a suburb of Minneapolis). Even though I lived in NY 20yrs ago for a few years, I’m pretty much starting from scratch. No idea where to stay, what different neighborhoods are like in the last handful of years, which restaurants are worth a stop, etc. Please help!

We’d plan to go in either later August (most likely) or December closer to holidays. Thinking trip of five, maybe six days.

His priorities are (1) food; (2) parks and views outdoors (he loves taking photos and loves scenic stuff); (3) all of the arts - music, museums, theater; (4) wants to visit other boroughs not just Manhattan; (5) wants to see “the famous stuff”. He’d be happy to walk through Times Square with the lights but would be more excited about finding a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with really good food. He prefers to live in athletic shorts & a tshirt but knows how to get dressed up for more formal events.

Trip would be mom/son bonding and I think his preference is to just book flights and leave, but I’m way too Type A and need to have at least a rough agenda so we can use our time well!

So - please fire away with suggestions for where to stay, where to eat, what to do! Budget is mid-range for hotel and restaurants. As long as hotel is clean and safe we’re happy. Food can be on paper plates if it’s good, can be higher-end if not pretentious, but he wouldn’t be interested in truly “fine dining”. We would be fine taking subway and walking all day so no restrictions on either of those.

Thanks in advance!!!

[Anonymous]

Went to the Vanderbilt Summit One building last month. Very cool. If he likes to take pix, he will enjoy that experience.

Go on a pizza tour - my teen DS loved it because we got to eat different kinds of pizza.

Times square

Maybe take in a show like Blue Man Group - that might appeal to a teen DS. We enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

I have a 15 yo son and would make my 15 yo do the planning. Definitely get tix to a show.

I think this will be fun, but: you might shorten the trip and tack on another northeast location because that’s a long time in NYC. It’s a lot of walking and $$$$ and….in August the city will probably be hot and smelly. Garbage on the sidewalk, no a/c on the subway, little shops that aren’t effectively air-conditioned. It can be a little like going back in time. Also, this year we have the bonus of poor air quality/haze. Maybe it will clear by August—who knows.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs! I remember how hot & unpleasant subway could be in summer, ha.

Maybe most important thing to figure out is where to stay. Suggestions on neighborhoods, any specific places?

[Anonymous]

Air bnb food tour of queens!

[Anonymous]

Head to Brooklyn Heights one night. Pick up a pizza at either Juliana’s or Grimaldi’s. Eat at Brooklyn Bridge Park, then walk along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for great evening views of Manhattan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 15 yo son and would make my 15 yo do the planning. Definitely get tix to a show.

I think this will be fun, but: you might shorten the trip and tack on another northeast location because that’s a long time in NYC. It’s a lot of walking and $$$$ and….in August the city will probably be hot and smelly. Garbage on the sidewalk, no a/c on the subway, little shops that aren’t effectively air-conditioned. It can be a little like going back in time. Also, this year we have the bonus of poor air quality/haze. Maybe it will clear by August—who knows.

Maybe you shouldn't comment if you haven't been to NYC in the past 20 years. Subways in NYC definitely have AC.

[Anonymous]

Walk the High Line! Art, nature and on top of the city

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 15 yo son and would make my 15 yo do the planning. Definitely get tix to a show.

I think this will be fun, but: you might shorten the trip and tack on another northeast location because that’s a long time in NYC. It’s a lot of walking and $$$$ and….in August the city will probably be hot and smelly. Garbage on the sidewalk, no a/c on the subway, little shops that aren’t effectively air-conditioned. It can be a little like going back in time. Also, this year we have the bonus of poor air quality/haze. Maybe it will clear by August—who knows.

Maybe you shouldn't comment if you haven't been to NYC in the past 20 years. Subways in NYC definitely have AC.

The trains do but not the station itself. We went last summer and it was brutal. In fact , my kids preferred to walk instead of take the subway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 15 yo son and would make my 15 yo do the planning. Definitely get tix to a show.

I think this will be fun, but: you might shorten the trip and tack on another northeast location because that’s a long time in NYC. It’s a lot of walking and $$$$ and….in August the city will probably be hot and smelly. Garbage on the sidewalk, no a/c on the subway, little shops that aren’t effectively air-conditioned. It can be a little like going back in time. Also, this year we have the bonus of poor air quality/haze. Maybe it will clear by August—who knows.

Maybe you shouldn't comment if you haven't been to NYC in the past 20 years. Subways in NYC definitely have AC.

Not the stations!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Walk the High Line! Art, nature and on top of the city

High Line is great but gets super crowded A LOT. Totally time of day dependent. Never go on a weekend after probably 10 AM. Week days mostly fine, but if it's a nice afternoon it will probably be pretty crowded. It's pretty cool at night and not crowded, but a different vibe and obviously the views are quite different. Nice weekend nights it's probably still pretty crowded until 9 or 10 PM.

[Anonymous]

Scott’s Pizza Tour

[Anonymous]

I stay at The Empire Hotel when I go to NY. Rooms are tiny but very affordable and right across the street from Lincoln Center. I like to be able to walk right back to my room from the opera. It's also a very short walk from Central Park

[Anonymous]

Queens Night Market or Smorgasburg for food fairs

Chinatown for authentic eats: Great NY Noodletown, Joe's soup dumplings, Nom Wah Tea parlor, Chinatown ice cream factory

Event in Central Park like Shakespeare in the Park

Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum, Tenement Museum

Do a walking tour, maybe a history tour of lower Manhattan

Boat ride around Manhattan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 15yr old son is working on talking me into taking him on a trip to NY (we currently live in a suburb of Minneapolis). Even though I lived in NY 20yrs ago for a few years, I’m pretty much starting from scratch. No idea where to stay, what different neighborhoods are like in the last handful of years, which restaurants are worth a stop, etc. Please help!

We’d plan to go in either later August (most likely) or December closer to holidays. Thinking trip of five, maybe six days.

His priorities are (1) food; (2) parks and views outdoors (he loves taking photos and loves scenic stuff); (3) all of the arts - music, museums, theater; (4) wants to visit other boroughs not just Manhattan; (5) wants to see “the famous stuff”. He’d be happy to walk through Times Square with the lights but would be more excited about finding a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with really good food. He prefers to live in athletic shorts & a tshirt but knows how to get dressed up for more formal events.

Trip would be mom/son bonding and I think his preference is to just book flights and leave, but I’m way too Type A and need to have at least a rough agenda so we can use our time well!

So - please fire away with suggestions for where to stay, where to eat, what to do! Budget is mid-range for hotel and restaurants. As long as hotel is clean and safe we’re happy. Food can be on paper plates if it’s good, can be higher-end if not pretentious, but he wouldn’t be interested in truly “fine dining”. We would be fine taking subway and walking all day so no restrictions on either of those.

Thanks in advance!!!

First, ignore the people telling you not to go.

Second, ideas:

- Eat in Koreatown: https://ny.eater.com/maps/best-koreatown-restaurants-nyc

- Explore Georgian food.


- Improv or sketch theater. For example: https://magnettheater.com/

- Walk from Battery Park along the Hudson River till you get bored.

- Go kayaking: https://manhattankayak.com/

- Glamping in NYC: https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/9-great-ways-to-go-glamping-around-nyc.

-